[1] After ending his education in his early teens he worked for several years in commercial firms before, aged 20, following his brother James into surveying.

He gained employment at the Department of Lands and Survey and worked in several locations including the Hutt Valley, Rangitikei and Manawatu before finally returning to his home area in Dunedin.

He resigned in 1896 to assess the British markets for New Zealand products and remained in his native land for three years.

[2] In January 1909 he was appointed Minister of Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Health Resorts, Scenery Preservation and State Forestry Departments in the government of Sir Joseph Ward with a seat in the Cabinet.

Two of Ward's Ministers withdrew their support and several members crossed the floor to defeat the ministry and William Massey's Reform Party came to power.

[1] The new Prime Minister Massey appointed him to London as High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom.

He served in this role until 1920 during which time he carried an unexpectedly high workload due to the advent of World War I.

[1] Historian David Hall wrote that his work as New Zealand's wartime High Commissioner was the most valuable period of his career.